Method of wrapping stayed boxes



Oct. 6, 1931. STOKES 1,826,264

METHOD OF WRAPPING STAYED BO XES Filed se i. 4, 1928 all Patented Oct. 6, 1931 UNHTED STATES JOHN S. STOKES, OF HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STOKES AND SMITH COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION .OF

PENNSYLVANIA aze;

PATENT entice.

METHOD OF WRAPPING STAYED BOXES Application filed'September 4, 1928. Serial No. 303,688.

'My invention relates to the formation of stayed boxes, cartons, containers, or the like, hereinafter generically termed boxes.

In accordance with my invention, tabs are adhesively secured to a box, particularly an unshaped box, or box-blank, and substantially immediately thereafter, or simultaneously, before material setting of the adhesive on the tabs, a. wrapper, preferably coated with adhesive, is applied to the box, the adhesive coatings on the tabs and wrapper being fluid during wrapping of the box; more specifically, the tabs after being coated with adhesive are applied to a corner-cut box-blank. particularly a one-piece blank,

and the tabbed wrapper is transported to a wrapping station, at which, during a wrappingoperation, the blank is simultaneously shaped and wrapped before setting of the adhesive.

My invention. resides in the methods hereinafter described and claimed.

For an illustration of some of the various methods of practicing my invention, reference is to be had'to the accompanying drawingpin whicl1,in perspective: A

big. 1 represents a stack of box blanks.

Fig. 2 illustrates a single box blank to which tabs have been adhesively attached.

Fig. 3 depicts the blank of Fig. 2 after a shaping operation.

ig. 4 represents a stack of wrappers.

Fig. 5 illustrates a single wrapper to which a coating of adhesive has been applied.

Fig. 6 is a'eview of the shaped box blank of, Fig. 3 in registering relation with a wrapper. V

Fig. 6a illustrates a modified step of my invention in which the unshaped box of Fig. 2 is in registering relation with a wrapper.

Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive. represents subsequent successive stages of the box wrapping operation.

Figs. 10 to inclusive, are modified forms of tabbed box blanks.

Referring to the drawings, to the individual box blanks B, after their removal from the stack S, or while an end blank of the stack, are adhesively secured the tabs T.

Preferably coatings of adhesive are applied to the tabs and the coated tabs are thereafter applied to the wrapper engaging surface of a box blank; alternatively, adhesive may be applied to the box blank, for example, local-' walls adjacent to those to which they are attached to reinforce the corners formed by the abutting walls. As shown, the tabs are applied to the side walls 8 and during the shaping operation engage the end walls 6 ultimately as hereinafter described to reinforce the corners of the box. It is within the scope of my invention to apply the tabs '1 to the end Walls 6 and thereafter to effect their engagement with side walls a;

As an alternative, the side walls s and end walls 6 may be bent into box-forming posi tion and thereafter the tabs adhesively applied in any sequence or simultaneously to the corners of the box thus formed. The individual tabs may engage the box walls in any sequence or simultaneously. The shaped, tabbed boxes of Fig. 3, produced in any of the modes indicated, are brought in suc cession into registering relation with wrappers W, as ata wrapping station.

The wrappers W are or may be individual, corner-cut wrappers disposed in astack S1 from which they may be moved and .transported to the wrapping station. To. the boxengaging surface of the successive end sheets of the stack before, or after, their removal therefrom is, or may be, applied a coating of adhesive. It will be understood that although the wrappers, as shown, are one piece wrappers that a composite wrapper, for'example, of the type described and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent 1,265,273, granted to myself and another on May 7, 1918, may be utilized.

At the wrapping station, while the adhesive coatings on the tabs T and the wrapper WV are still fluid or unset, the side panels 8' of the wrapper lV are wiped preferably simultaneously, into engagement with the corresponding walls of the shaped box and with wrapper-engaging faces of the tabs T. The end flaps f of the wrapper are then wiped into contact with the end walls 0 of the box and with the remainder of the wrapper-engaging faces of the tabs T, (Fig. 7) and thereafter the end panels a of the wrapper are folded into adhesive engagement with the end walls of the shaped box (Fig. 8).

The wrapping operation is completed as is well understood in the art, by bending the portions of the wrapper projecting beyond the edges of the box inwardly over the edges of the box and into engagement with the inner surface thereof. During this step, the upper ends of the tabs. as viewed in Fif 8, which are still soft and pliable because of the wet adhesive coating thereon, are folded over the upper edges of the box at the corners without any tendency to rupture the wrapper at these points.

The box blanks B instead of being shaped intobox-simulating position, as in Fig. 3 and thereafter wrapped may be simultaneously bent into box-forming position and wrapped by effecting registering relation between the tabbed blank in the substantially flat or slightly bent position of Fig. 2 and a coated wrapper. During the wrapping operation the side panels 8 of the wrapper engage the respective panels 8 of the box blank ant. are moved therewith to a position determined by a form block structure F whose outer dimensions correspond to the inner dimensions of the completed box. The end flaps f of the wrapper are then wiped into engagement with the end walls of the box which are held in position against the form block structure. Wrapping of the box is completed in substantially the manner above described.

Vhile any or all of the oneratimn: above mentioned may be performed manually, it is desirable and practical to foerfor them by suitable mechanism. for example. the wrappers 1V may be removed from the 1 ck by the sheet feeding a d ad 'Ye roa ing unit of Nitsch 8: Federwitz: U. Lett rs Patent 1,472 614. F ederwita and Bailey application Ser'al No. 40,769. filed July 1, 1925, Nitsch 8: lVeightman application Ser f: No. ($9.249, filed November 16,, 1925, FJdGEWVli/ZX I Bailey application Serial No. 24 1.124. filed January 3, 1928, or Rider application Q merial No. 299,215,1iled August 13, 1928; and the coated wrappers transported to a wrapping station by a conveyor of the type disclosed in the aforesaid Federwitz and Bailey application Serial No. 40,769, Federwita and Bailey application Serial No. 70,162. liled November 21, 1925 or the aforesaid Rider application Serial No. 299,215; the coated wrappers may be applied to toe box blanks held in box-forming position by an operator by the wrapping unit disclosed in U. S. Let ters atent to Smith (391,329, Nitsch and Fcderwitz No. 1,540,900, or to the unshaped b 1k by mechan sm generally of the character disclosed and described in aforesaid Federwitz and Bailey application Serial No. 910.769 or Stokes application Serial No. 1 17,- 105 filed November 19. 1926; and the boxes or box blanks may be fed in succession into the path of the form block structure of the wrapping nachine by apparatus generally ribed in the aforesaid similar to that ch. Federwitz lieu of, or in addition to the tabs T, i may be applied to the box blanks B, as indicated in Fig. 10. the tab structures T s rich ex l along and preferably beyond the line of oinder of the side panels a and e eottom panel ultimately to reinforce bottom isle edges of the box, and also 0.1 the tab is of sufficient length as shown, c qtrengthen the lower corners of the box at he junc .ion of the end, side and bottom walls thereof. Before setting of the adhesive on the tabs, the tabbed blank is moved to a wrapping station at which a wrapper is applied thereto above described.

Another modified form of tabbed blank is shown in Fig. 11, in which the tabs T extent. along and preferably beyond the line of oindcr between the end panels a and the botoin panel 5 of the blank, ultimately to reinforce the bottom, end edges of the box, and also when the tabs cxten d entirely across the shank, shown, also to reinforce the vertical corners of the completed box.

In some instances, in which it is not necessary or desirable, that the boxes be as elaborately reinforced as above described, the tabbed blank of Fig. 12 may be utilized. In this modification, the tabs T are relatively short and a re preferably disposed intermeridate the width of the side panels a at the ends thereof. As in each of the preceding modifications of my invention, before material drying of the adhesive on the tabs, a wrapper is applied to the tabbed blank to produce a wrapped box.

It is apparent that a box cover may be similarly formed and to avoid needless repetition .the term bottom will be under stood to include top.

The term box structure appearing in the ap ended claims is used in a generic sense and comprehends both stayed and unstayed bot-Les. I

hat I claim is:

1. The method of producing a stayed box and Bailey application No. 40,769..

which comprises adhesively securing tabs to box structure, and substantially immediately substantiallyimmediately thereafter, while the adhesive coatings on the tabs are unset, applying an individual wrapper to the box structure. I

4. The method which comprises coating tabs with adhesive, applying the coated tabs to an unstayed box, and substantially immediately thereafter, while the adhesive coatings on the tabs are unset, applying a wrapper to the unstayed box.

5. The method which comprises coating tabs with adhesive, applying the coated tabs to an unstayed box blank, substantially immediately thereafter, while the adhesive coatings on the tabs are unset, applying a wrapper to the unstayed box, and simultaneously wrapping and staying the unstayed box to form a wrapped, stayed box.

6. The method which comprises coating tabs with adhesive, applying the coated tabs to an unshaped box, substantially immediately thereafter and before setting of the adhesive coating on the tabs, applying an adhesive coated wrapper to the unshaped box, and simultaneously wrapping and shaping the unstayed box before setting of any of the adhesive coatings to produce a wrapped, stayed box.

7. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises adhesively securing tabs to a corner-cut box blank, substantially immediately thereafter and before setting of the adhesive. applying a wrapper to the boxblank, shaping the blank to form a box, and substantially simultaneously folding the tabs and wrapper to complete the wrapping and staying.

8. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises adhesiyely securing tabs to a corner-cut box-blank, substantially immediately thereafter applying a corner-cut wrapper thereto, shaping the blank to form a box, and substantially simultaneously folding the tabs and wrapper to complete the wrapping and staying.

9. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises efiecting adhesive engagement between walls of an unshaped box and tabs, substantially immediately thereafter,

during a shaping operation, effecting adhesive engagement between other walls of the box andthe tabs, and while the adhesive onisaid tabs is moist, applying a wrapper to walls of the-box and to said tabs.

10. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises applying a coating of adhesivev to tabs, effecting adhesive engagement,

between walls of an unshaped box and the coated tabs, substantially immediately thereafter, during a shaping operation, effecting "adhesive engagement between other walls of thezbox and the coated tabs, and applying an adhesive-coated wrapper to tabbed walls of the boxbefore setting of any of the adhesive upon the tabs and wrapper.

g, .11. Themethod of producing a stayed box which comprises adhesively securing tabs to box structure, transporting the tabbed box structure to a wrapping station, effecting ,registering'relation between the tabbed box structure and a wrapper, and wrapping the box structure before material setting of the adhesive on the tabs.

p12. :The method of producing-a stayed box which comprises adhesively securing tabs to box structure, transporting the tabbed box structure to a wrapping station, effecting registering relation between the tabbed box structure and an adhesive-coated wrapper,

and wrapping the box structure before material setting of the adhesive on the tabs and wra er. r

13. The method which comprises adhesive ly securing tabs to an unshaped box, transporting the tabbed, unshaped box to a wrappingstation, effecting registering relation between the tabbed unshaped box and a wrapper, and simultaneously shaping and wrapping a wrapped, stayed box.

14. i The method of producing a stayed box which comprises adhesively securing tabs to the wrapper-engaging surface of the box with portions extending beyond edges thereof, substantially immediately thereafter,

bending the projecting tab portions over the edges of the box into adhesive engagement adhesive engagement between a wrapper and the box, before setting of the adhesive and before Silld bending of the projectingtab portions. 1 g

1'5. The continuous method of producing stayed boxes which comprises adhesively securing .tabs'to box structures in succession,

substantially immediately transporting the 16; The lnethodof producing stayed boxes the unshapedbox before material setting ofthe adhesive on the tabs to produce with the inner surface thereof, and efiecting which comprises adhesively securing tabs to box structures in succession, substantially immediately transporting the tabbed boxes in succession to a wrapping station, applying a coating of adhesive to wrappers in succession, transporting the coated wrappers in succession, and applying the coated wrappers to the tabbed box structures at the wrapping station before material setting of the adhesive on the tabs and wrappers.

17. The method of producing stayed boxes which comprises adhesively securing tabs to box structures, substantially immediately transporting wrappers in succession to a wrapping station, and, at the wrapping station, applying the wrappers in succession to tabbed box structures before material setting of adhesive on the tabs.

18. The method which comprises adhesively securing tabs to unshaped boxes, transporting wrappers in succession to a Wrapping station, and, at the wrapping station, applying the coated wrappers in succession to unshaped tabbed blanks before setting of any of the adhesive, and simultaneously wrapping and shaping said blanks to form wrapped, stayed boxes.

19. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises coating tabs with adhesive, applying the coated tabs to a box blank, shaping the blank to form a box, and substantially immediately after application of the tabs and before or after shaping of the blanksapplying an adhesively-coated wrapper.

20. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises adhesively securing tabs to the wrapper-engaging surface of the box with portions extending beyond the edges thereof, substantially immediately thereafter applying an adhesively-coated wrapper to the box with portions projecting beyond the edges thereof, and before setting of the ad hesive on the tabs and wrapper simultaneously folding the projecting )ortions of the tabs and wrapper over said ec ge of the box into adhesive engagement with the inside thereof.

21. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises adhesively securing tabs to the wrapper-engaging surface of a box blank, to project in part beyond the edges thereof, substantially immediately thereafter the steps of applying an adhesively-coated wrapper to he blank, shaping, wrapping and staying the box, and simultaneously folding the projecting portions of the tabs and projecting portions of the wrapper into adhesive Engagement with the inside of the shaped 22. The method of producing a stayed box which comprises applying a pair of adhesively-coated tabs across opposite ends of a boxblank portion adapted to form the box bottoni and a pair of opposite sidewalls with portions of the tabs projecting beyond the edges oft-he tab portions.

JOHN S. STOKES. 

